The demand for access to shared content, such as video content, audio content, Internet web content, or interactive games, among other types of content, is ever increasing and becoming more challenging to meet. Subscribers to a content provider network are seeking access to larger files, are seeking this access more frequently, and are demanding that this access be faster, more reliable, and more cost effective.
The storage of content on a network and its distribution from a content provider to various subscribers of the network has traditionally been accomplished through a hierarchical client-server protocol, where a central server, such as a content library, stores content for sharing among the subscribers. For example, digital video content, such as movies and television broadcasts, may be stored in a content library that is accessible by equipment at the various subscriber locations. When a subscriber requests to see a certain movie, the subscriber's equipment, such as a set-top box, running the same communication protocol as the content library will communicate with the content library to download the requested movie to the subscriber location for viewing on a television or computer screen.
Certain types of content, such as digital video content, consist of large amounts of data. Such content requires more space for storage in the central content library and more time for downloading to the subscriber location. At times of heightened demand, for example when a new movie has been released to the content library and many subscribers desire to see the same movie at the same time, the system can be overwhelmed and unable to meet the demand. Some subscribers may be unable to access the content at all. Other subscribers who are able to access the content may experience longer download times or poor content quality. The consumption of bandwidth in traditional systems for distributing content to a subscriber may also adversely affect the speed and reliability of content distribution to other subscribers. Furthermore, as content is added to the content library, the storage capacity of the library must be increased to accommodate the growing volume of content. The larger content library may similarly impose upon subscribers the problems of slow downloads and poor content quality.
In order to improve the situation for subscribers, content providers have attempted to pre-distribute content closer to the subscribers. For example, smaller, intermediate content libraries may be formed and dedicated to the service of a smaller number of the total subscriber base. Popular content, such as newly released movies, may then be moved to the intermediate content libraries so that they are more easily accessible by the corresponding groups of subscribers. Although such pre-distribution of content does serve to improve the subscribers' access to the content, there are tremendous storage costs to the content provider associated with forming the various intermediate content libraries. There are also significant operational costs incurred by the content provider due to the requirement for personnel to engineer the content distribution on a regular basis. In other words, the content provider incurs significant costs in determining which content is in demand and where best to store the content.
Therefore, there is a need for a system to store content on a network and to deliver the content from a content provider to a subscriber in a manner that improves the location of the content with respect to the various subscribers, is highly resilient and meets customer expectations with regards to download speeds and content quality, reduces content library growth requirements, and effectively manages bandwidth consumption.